18 December 2012
During a routine inspection
We looked at the discharge forms used by the service and saw they contained enough information to assist the staff to care for patients safely. The forms included information about a patient's previous medical history; background information; their current needs; and an assessment of the patient's safety if left unattended in the ambulance. The manager told us: 'we receive good information from the hospital transport staff. We all work in the same room so we can communicate really well.'
We looked at the staff rota and saw there was sufficient staff on duty to provide a reliable service. The manger told us 'we always make sure there is enough staff to use all the ambulances.'
We saw the staff were kind and considerate towards people they assisted. They ensured the people were transferred from wheelchairs to the ambulance in a safe and dignified manner.
On the day of inspection, there was no running hot water in the premises used by the service. Immediately following the inspection visit the manager wrote to us and stated they had contacted the hospital who was the landlord of the property they occupied. The service had been given three portable hand washing units for immediate use.